Mental Math Grade 1
MM 1-1
“I’ll start counting and you keep going
when I stop.”
1, 2, 3, ... (4, 5, 6)
5, 6, 7, ... (8, 9, 10)
7, 8, 9, ... (10, 11, 12)
10, 11, 12, ... (13, 14, 15)
Continue with numbers the children know.
MM 1-2
“When you count what number comes after 7?” (8)
4? (5), 9? (10), 6? (7), 10? (11), 2? (3),
14? (15), 8? (9), 17? (18), 13? (14).
Continue with numbers the children know.
MM 1-3
Hold up a number card. “What is this number?”
Show a 4.
Show a 7.
Show a 9.
Show a 5.
Continue with all the number cards.
MM 1-4
Give the child number cards.
“Hold up the number 8; 6; 5.”
Continue with all the number cards.
MM 1-5
Hold up a number card. “If I were counting, what number would come after this number?”
6 (7)
4 (5)
9 (10)
7 (8)
14 (15)
18 (19)
Continue with all the number cards.
MM 1-6
Give the child the number cards. “Hold up the number which comes after the ones I say.”
8 (9)
4 (5)
9 (10)
7 (8)
14 (15)
18 (19)
Continue with all the number cards.
MM 1-7
What number am I thinking of? It is more than 3 and less than 5. (4)
Practice with different numbers.
MM 1-8
Close your eyes. Estimate how many tables, windows, or book cases, etc. are in the room.
MM 1-9
Teacher holds crayons in hand. Show students hand of crayons. Students estimate how many crayons are in teacher’s hand.
Repeat with other objects in your hand.
MM 1-10
Every student takes out 1 pencil. Ask students to estimate how many of a certain color are in their row or group.
Check to make sure.
MM 1-11
Show students 1 piece of chalk. Show them an empty box of chalk. They are to estimate how many pieces of chalk would fit in the box.
Show them other objects and containers.
MM 1-12
Show two sets of objects for a very short period of time (counters, unifix cubes, bundles of sticks, coins, etc.). Tell how many are in one set. Show the sets again briefly. Ask the children to determine the number in the other set. Give the children hints to help them in determining the number.
MM 1-13
“Count on 2 starting with 7 (8, 9), 9 (10, 11), 12 (13, 14), 8 (9, 10).”
Continue with other numbers the child knows. Have the child count on 3 more, but no higher. If the child has difficulty, have him/her say the starting number softly and the other numbers louder.
MM 1-14
“Start counting from 4 and count to 6. How many did you count?” (2)
Have the child say the first number softly and the next ones louder - raising a finger for each one he counts after 4.
“Start with 8 and count to 11. How many did you count?” (3)
Repeat, starting with other numbers, but do not have the child count on more than 3.
MM 1-15
Hold up two number cards and have the child count from the smaller to the larger and tell you how many she/he counted. The numbers should be no more than 3 apart.
MM 1-16
“What is 2 more than 5?” (7)
“What is 1 more than 8?” (9)
“What is 3 more than 7?” (10)
“What is 0 more than 6?” (6)
Repeat for numbers less than 10. Only use 0, 1, 2, 3 more than.
MM 1-17
“What is 7 plus 1?” (8)
“What is 5 plus 2?” (7)
“What is 8 plus 0?” (8)
“What is 4 plus 3?” (7)
Repeat for numbers less than 10. Only add 0, 1, 2, or 3.
MM 1-18
Hold up two number cards. Both should be less than 10. One of the cards should be 0, 1, 2, or 3.
Hold up 6 and 2. “If I added these numbers, what would I have?” (8)
Repeat for any other numbers.
MM 1-19
Present story problems to the children which involve addition.
“Peter had 4 blue shirts and 3 brown shirts. How many did he have in all?” (7)
“Jane lost 2 marbles. She only had 2 left. How many did she have before?” (4)
“Frances owned 3 dogs. His mother gave him 2 more. How many dogs does he have now?” (5)
Continue. One of the numbers should be 0, 1, 2, or 3. Use the words all together, in all, find the total and find the sum.
MM 1-20
Do you know an object shaped like a circle?
triangle?
rectangle?
Continue with other shapes.
MM 1-21
Draw a shape on the board. Ask the students to name an object shaped like this.
Repeat with other shapes.
MM 1-22
How many sides does a square have? (4)
How many corners does a triangle have? (3)
Draw a square.
Draw a triangle.
MM 1-23
Bill has a rectangular shaped toy and Darin has a triangular shaped toy. Which toy has the most sides? (rectangular) How many more sides? (1)
Draw a toy which has a rectangular shape.
MM 1-24
I’ll start counting backwards and you keep going when I stop.
6, 5, 4, ... (3, 2, 1)
10, 9, 8, ... (7, 6, 5)
Continue.
MM 1-25
When you count, what number comes before 7? (6)
8? (7)
9? (8)
5? (4)
11? (10)
Continue.
MM 1-26
Hold up a number card. If I were counting, what number would come before this number?
6? (5)
4? (3)
7? (6)
8? (7)
Continue.
MM 1-27
“Count back 2, starting with 7.” (6, 5)
10 (9, 8)
13 (12, 11)
8 (7, 6)
Continue with numbers the children know. Have the child count back 3 from various numbers.
MM 1-28
“What is 2 less than 5?” (3)
“What is 1 less than 7?” (6)
“What is 3 less than 6?” (3)
“What is 0 less than 9?” (9)
Repeat for numbers less than 10. Use only 0, 1, 2, or 3 less than.
Repeat for many days during the time the students are learning the subtraction facts involving 0, 1, 2, and 3.
MM 1-29
“What is 7 minus 1?” (6)
“What is 8 minus 3?” (5)
“What is 9 minus 2?” (7)
“What is 10 minus 0?” (10)
Repeat for numbers 10 or less. Only minus numbers 0, 1, 2 or 3.
Repeat for many days during the time the students are learning the subtraction facts involving 0, 1, 2 and 3.
MM 1-30
“Kim had 7 cookies. She gave 2 cookies to her friend. How many cookies does Kim have left?” (5)
“There are 8 girls in the swings. 3 went away to play. How many are left?” (5)
“Mark had 9 flowers in his garden. Someone took away 1. How many did Mark have left?” (8)
Continue. One of the numbers in each problem should be 0, 1, 2 or 3.
Repeat for many days during the time the students are learning the subtraction facts involving 0, 1, 2 and 3.
MM 1-31
Hold up two number cards and have the children count back from the larger to the smaller and tell you how many she/he counted. The numbers should be no further than 3 apart.
MM 1-32
“Start counting from 7 and count back to 4. How many did you count?” (3)
“Start with 8 and count back to 6. How many did you count?” (2)
Continue with other numbers, never having the child count back more than 3.
MM 1-33
“How much larger is 6 than 4? (2) How much larger is 7 than 6? (1) How much larger is 9 than 6? (3)”
Repeat for numbers less than 10. Only use numbers which are 0, 1, 2 or 3 apart.
Repeat for many days during the time the students are learning the subtraction facts with answers of 0, 1, 2 or 3.
MM 1-34
“What is 6 minus 4?” (2)
“What is 8 minus 7?” (1)
“What is 7 minus 4?” (3)
“What is 9 minus 8?” (1)
Repeat for numbers 10 or less. Only present numbers 0, 1, 2, or 3 apart.
Repeat for many days during the time the students are learning the subtraction facts with answers of 0, 1, 2, or 3.
MM 1-35
“Blaine had 5 tractors. He lost 4 of them. How many did he have left?” (1)
“Alicia raised 8 hamsters. One day 6 ran away. How many did she have left?” (2)
“Ronald had a pack of gum with 8 pieces in it. He chewed 5 pieces. How many did he have left?” (3)
Continue. In each problem the answer should be 0, 1, 2 or 3.
MM 1-36
When the students are ready mix subtraction problems where one number is 0, 1, 2 or 3 and when the answer is 0, 1, 2 or 3.
MM 1-37
“Ruth found 8 shiny rocks in the stream. Nancy found 2 less than Ruth. How many rocks did Nancy find?” (6)
“Paul has 4 black dogs. Mary has 4 white dogs. How many more dogs did Paul have than Mary?” (0)
Continue with how many more or less problems.
MM 1-38
“John has 6 tops. He bought some more and now he has 9. How many did he buy?” (3)
“Jeannie has 10 pennies. 6 are in her bank and the rest are in her purse. How many are in her purse?” (4)
Continue with problems of this type - where you ask how many were added to get a total.
MM 1-39
Make up a story to go with the numbers 6 minus 2 equals 4.
Make up a story to go with the numbers 7 minus 7 equals 0.
Continue to present subtraction facts and have the children make up appropriate stories.
MM 1-40
Ask subtraction questions which have additional information in them. Pick numbers less than 10. Examples:
Diane had 9 stamps. Ronnie has 7 stamps. Sue has 12 stamps. How many more stamps does Diane have than Ronnie? (2)
Marty had 5 kids on his baseball team. 2 were girls and 3 were boys. How many more kids did he need to make a team of 9? (4)
A car going to an airport can hold 8 people. 3 seats were empty. Two people were carrying bags in their laps. How many seats are full?
MM 1-41
1. What is 7 + 2? (9)
2. 8 + 3? (11)
3. 8 - 3? (5)
4. 7 - 2? (5)
5. 6 + 3 - 2? (7)
MM 1-42
1. What is 6 + 3? (9)
2. 5 - 1? (4)
3. 9 + 2? (11)
4. 8 - 2? (6)
5. 5 + 5 - 3? (7)
MM 1-43
1. What is 4 + 4? (8)
2. 2 + 7? (9)
3. 10 - 2? (8)
4. 9 - 3? (6)
5. 7 - 2 + 3? (8)
MM 1-44
“Count by tens to 100.
Now start at 40 and count on by tens.
Start at 70 and count back by tens.”
Have the child start at different numbers of tens and count forward and back by tens.
MM 1-45
“How much is 4 tens? (40)
6 tens? (60)
7 tens? (70)”
“How many tens in 50? (5)
30? (3)
80? (8)”
Continue with questions of this type.
MM 1-46
Start with 40 and count on 3 more. (43)
Start with 80 and count on 2 more. (82)
Start with 10 and count on 7 more. (17)
Have the child start at a given number of tens and count on by ones. The child could write the numbers as well.
MM 1-47
Say the number that is 5 tens and 2 ones. (52)
Say the number that is 7 tens and 4 ones. (74)
Say the number that is 9 tens and 1 one. (91)
Say the number that is 6 ones and 5 tens. (56)
Say the number that is 3 ones and 8 tens. (83)
Continue with numbers which contain tens and ones and ones and tens.
MM 1-48
Count by 2’s to 100. Start from 0.
Count by 2’s to 100. Start with 1.
Count by 2’s starting from 48, 36, 64, 75, 17.
Continue.
MM 1-49
Count by 5’s to 100.
Count by 5’s starting with 20, 35, 70, 85.
Continue. Start counting from a number with 0 or 5 in the one’s digit.
MM 1-50
Count by 10’s starting with 15, 23, 41, 17. Continue.
What number is 10 more than 26, 38, 61. Continue.
The child could write the answer as well.
MM 1-51
What number comes after 32, 60, 85? Continue.
What number comes before 17, 43, 70? Continue.
The child could write the number as well.
MM 1-52
What number is between 36 and 38? (37)
Between 79 and 81? (80)
Between 27 and 29? (28)
The child could write the number as well.
MM 1-53
Say any number that is greater than 47, 68, 17, etc.
Say any number that is less than 81, 43, 92, etc.
Say any number that is between 41 and 46.
Between 63 and 67.
Between 78 and 81.
Continue. The child could write the number as well.
MM 1-54
“I’m thinking of a number between 20 and 40. This number has a 5 in it. What could it be?” (25 or 35)
“I’m thinking of a number between 40 and 70. The one’s digit is 3. What could it be?” (43, 53 or 63)
Continue with questions of this type. The child could write the answers as well. Let the child ask you questions of this type.
MM 1-55
“I’m thinking of a number between 1 and 100 (58). What is my number? You may ask only questions which can be answered yes or no.” Encourage the student to ask intelligent questions like, “Is it bigger than 50?” “Does it have a 6 in it?”, etc. Let him/her pick a number and you ask the questions.
MM 1-56
What is 20 + 7? (27)
What is 30 + 4? (34)
What is 50 + 6? (56)
What is 80 + 9? (89)
Repeat for any number between 10 and 100. Emphasize the sounds involved. (50 + 6 = 56)
MM 1-57
What is 6 + 10? (16)
What is 7 + 10? (17)
8 + 10? (18)
4 + 10? (14)
9 + 10? (19)
MM 1-58
What is 10 + 5? (15)
10 + 6? (16)
10 + 8? (18)
10 + 2? (12)
Repeat for all numbers between 11 and 19.
MM 1-59
What is 1 + 10? (11)
3 + 10? (13)
5 + 10? (15)
2 + 10? (12)
Repeat. For these sums the sounds are not as apparent.
MM 1-60
What is 5 + 40? (45)
What is 6 + 70? (76)
What is 8 + 30? (38)
What is 1 plus 90? (91)
Repeat for any number between 10 and 100.
MM 1-61
What number is 10 more than 50? (60)
What number is 30 more than 40? (70)
What number is 30 less than 50? (20)
What number is 10 less than 60? (50)
Continue with 10, 20, 30 more or less than a multiple of 10. The child could write the numbers as well.
MM 1-62
What number is 20 more than 37? (57)
What number is 40 less than 63? (23)